Buoyant boat bottom brush



Nov. 28, 1961 J. c. GLYNN BUOYANT BOAT BOTTOM BRUSH Filed March 15, 1960 IN V EN TOR. JAMES C. GLYNM Alf/0102f) United States Patent Ofiice 3,010,420 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 3,010,420 BUOYANT BOAT BOTTOM BRUSH James C. Glynn, 143 Greenbrae Boardwalk, San Rafael, Calif. Filed Mar. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 15,154 4 Claims. (Cl. 114222) My present invention relates to brushing and scrubbing and more particularly to a submersible buoyant brush ior scrubbing algae and barnacles from the bottoms of oats.

An object of the invention is to provide a brush having buoyant characteristics which may be employed in scrubbing the bottoms of boats in a simple, practical and novel manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buoyant brush of novel construction for scrubbing boat bottoms and the like in a practical manner without removing the boat or the like from the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buoyant boat bottom scrubbing and barnacle removing brush having features by which the buoyancy and manipulation thereof are practical and of improved construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a brush constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 diagrammatically illustrates the brush of FIGURE 1 as in use,

FIGURE 3 is a modified form of the invention,

FIGURE 4 is a further modification of the invention, and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary views showing the adjustable joint employed in the handle of the brush.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawing there is shown a buoyant boat bottom brush constructed in accordance with this invention and wherein the numeral 10 designates a rectangular block of buoyant material which forms the body of the brush. Attached to the upper side of the rectangular block, as here viewed, there is a brush back forming member 11 having bristles 12 that project outwardly therefrom. At the other or underside of the buoyant rectangular block 10 there is a squeegee or scraper supporting member 13 having a plurality of blade like members 14 extending outwardly therefrom. These bladelike members 14 may be of hard or soft rubber or of steel depending upon the nature of work to be performed therewith. Extending around the rectangular block 10 there is a band 15 to which a handle 16 is hingedly connected by a hinge mounting 17. In connection with this hinge mounting 17 it should be pointed out that the swing of the handle 16 thereabout will be in a plane at a 90 angle with respect to the face of the brush bristles 12.

In FIGURE 2 of the drawing the brush, as constructed above, is shown as in its working position under the bottom of a boat 18. In this arrangement the handle 16 is shown as having two additional hingedly attached tubular members 19 and 20 by which the brush may be moved along the bottom of the boat 18 when in the water from a point above the surface of the water in which the boat 18 may be floating. Under these conditions it can be readily seen that by providing the brush with buoyance in the form of the rectangular block 10 the brush will be caused to exert a pressure upon the under surface of the boat when submerged. Then the brush may be moved about under the boat from its beam to either side of the keelof the boat with a push and pull application of force upon the extending handle forming member 20.

In FIGURE 3 there is shown a modification of the brush in which a substantially conventional scrubbing brush designated by the numeral 21 may be rendered buoyant by the attachment of a buoyant float forming member 22 to the back thereof. In this instance there is shown a handle 23 with a flexible connection 24 to which an extension forming member 25 is connected to a brush by a pivot forming clevis 26.

#In FIGURE 4 of the drawing there is shown a further modification of the brush in which the numeral 27 designates the brush as a whole and to the back of brush 27 there is attached an inflatable elastic member 28 having a valve 29 through which air may be introduced or exhausted from the elastic member 28. In this arrangement the brush 27 is adapted to be operated with a push and pull application of force through handle forming extensions 30 and 31 which are in turn pivotally secured to the brush.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawing there is shown a simple form of binge connection for use with my brush. In disposition the meeting faces of the two joined lengths of tubing 32 and 33 are disposed in a vertical plane so that it will be possible to guide the brush in a substantially straight line backward and forward without permitting the brush to swing to the right or left in a manner which would make difiicult the positioning of the brush over a definite area to be scrubbed. When these extensions so formed by the tubular handle extension forming members 19 and 20, 30 and 31 and 32 and 33 are in operation their line of relative angular displacement should preferably be in a vertical plane so that the brush as a whole may be moved sidewise as it is pushed and pulled in a substantially vertical plane over the bottom of the boat. In this latter arrangement there is shown a simple hinge connection in the form of a bolt 34 with a wing nut 35. When the wing nut 35 is tightened it will be found that a rigid extension will be formed upon the brush and in most instance it will be possible to operate the brush at varying depths under water.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a buoyant marine brush of the character described, the combination of a solid rectangular block of non-absorbent buoyant material, a bristle carrying brush assembly secured to and extending completely over one face of said block of buoyant material, a scraper supporting member secured to the opposite face of said block of when submerged.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said block of buoyant material is composed of a solid block of cork.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said block of buoyant material consists of a hard setting non-absorbent plastic foam material.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the scraper blade carried by said blade supporting member consists of a strip of hard plastic material.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Browne Feb. 15, 1921 Ziskind Aug. 3, 1948 Vosbikian Dec. '12, 1950 Stepper Jan. 19, 1954 Siefken Oct. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 27, 1936 

